Republicans literally cheered when the House passed their scam to make middle-class Americans pay for handouts to millionaires.
On Thursday, House Republicans passed their deeply unpopular tax scam that most Americans don't want. And they actually — and rather callously — applauded themselves for doing it.
All but 13 Republicans, several of them in competitive races next year, voted to raise taxes on middle-class Americans so that millionaires and corporations can pocket handouts.
Not a single Democrat voted for the bill.
While House Speaker Paul Ryan and various members of the Trump administration first insisted that their bill would not benefit the rich — like Donald Trump and his family — and that no middle-class families would face tax increases, their claims have been debunked, and they've been forced to walk back those statements. They've also used ridiculous arguments for their bill, like claiming that an annual income of $450,000 is low- and middle income.
In other words, Republicans voted for and applauded a bill they know could hurt working Americans. And they don't care.
That's a fact some of them strangely admitted before voting on the bill. New York Rep. Chris Collins was recently asked about his constituents' opposition to the massive corporate tax cuts included in the bill, and Collins responded by saying, "Who cares?" Only days later, he admitted that the GOP push for the bill is not about voters — it's about wealthy donors.
"My donors are basically saying, ‘Get it done or don’t ever call me again,'" he said.
Economists have widely condemned the bill, saying it amounts to "intergenerational class warfare." Among the groups of Americans who would be forced to finance tax cuts for the ultra-rich are struggling teachers and disabled veterans.
Meanwhile, those who stand to benefit from the bill include yacht owners and the children of the ultra-wealthy, like Ivanka Trump and her siblings. They stand to pocket $4 billion, thanks to repeal of the estate tax — which only .2 percent of estates in the entire country pay.
The bill is a disaster — which is why the vast majority of Americans oppose it. But Republicans have made clear that they don't care what the vast majority of Americans want. Their rich benefactors have threatened to cut off donations if the GOP doesn't deliver on its promised handouts, and that's all that matters to them.
